1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for picking up to transfer semiconductor devices in a handler for testing the semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to an apparatus for transferring semiconductor devices in a semiconductor device test handler enabling to facilitate to vary pitches of pickers for picking up the semiconductor devices to correspond to a tray and change kits according to species and sizes of the semiconductor devices to be tested.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, semiconductor devices produced in a production line undergo tests for checking whether to be good or fail before shipment.
A handler is a device for testing such semiconductor devices. The handler uses a semiconductor device transferring apparatus to transfer semiconductor devices received on a tray to another site in the course of a process automatically, loads the semiconductor devices on a test socket of a test site to carry out a demanded test thereon, and classifies the tested semiconductor devices into various grades to unload them on the tray. The handler carries out such steps repeatedly to perform the tests.
FIG. 1 illustrates a layout of a general handler for semiconductor device test.
Referring to FIG. 1, in a front part of a handler body 1, formed are a loading unit 2 on which trays receiving test-expecting semiconductor devices thereon are loaded and an unloading unit 3 having a plurality of trays receiving test-completed semiconductor devices classified into good products and re-examining products in accordance with test results. And, a soaking plate 7 is installed in rear of the loading unit 2. The soaking plate 7 includes a heating means (not shown in the drawings) and a cooling means(not shown in the drawings) inside to heat or cool the test-expecting semiconductor devices to a predetermined temperature for temperature test.
And, a reject multi-stacker 5, on which a plurality of trays are loaded to receive the semiconductor devices classified by grade into the failed products according to the test results, is installed in rear of the unloading unit 3.
In a test site 10 located at the foremost rear part of the handler body 1, a test socket 11 connected electrically to an external testing device is installed to test a performance of each of the semiconductor devices. Over the test sockets 11, formed are first and second index heads 12a and 12b installed to move horizontally to pick up to load the semiconductor devices; which are transferred to standby positions at both sides of the test sockets 11, on the test sockets 11 as well as to pick up to retransfer the tested semiconductor devices on the test sockets 11 to the standby positions at both sides.
In the very front of the test site 10, first and second loading shuttles 8a and 8b are installed to move back and forth. The first and second loading shuttles 8a and 8b receive to transfer the semiconductor devices from the loading unit 2 or the soaking plate 7 to the standby positions at both sides of the test sockets 11 of the test site 10. At one sides of the first and second loading shuttles 8a and 8b, first and second unloading shuttles 9a and 9b are installed to move back and forth, respectively. The fist and second unloading shuttles 9a and 9b receive to transfer the test-completed semiconductor devices from the test site 10 to an outside of the test site 10.
Fixing frames 13 are installed at the front end of the handler body 1 and over the very front side of the test site 10 across the handler body 1, respectively. A pair of movable frames 14a and 14b are installed at the fixing frames 13 to move right and left along the fixing frames 13. And, loading and unloading pickup device 15 and 16 are installed at the movable frames 14a and 14b to move back and forth along the movable frames 14a and 14b to pick up semiconductor devices, respectively. Each of the loading and unloading pickup devices 15 and 16 includes a plurality of pickers (not shown in the drawings) to transport a plurality of the semiconductor devices simultaneously.
Meanwhile, a handler is constituted to carry out a test on such semiconductor devices as QFP, BGA, SOP, and the like. After one species of the semiconductor devices have been tested, another species of the semiconductor devices are tested. In such a case, a change kit including the tray, soaking plate 7, loading shuttles 8a and 8b, unloading shuttles 9aand 9b, test socket 11, and the like is replaced by another change kit fitting to the semiconductor device species to carry out the test.
In this case, since the change kits replaced according to the species of the test-expecting semiconductor devices differ from each other in pitches and sizes of landing units where the semiconductor devices land, pitches of the pickers of the loading and unloading pickup devices 15 and 16 should be varied to fit those of the landing units.
However, the loading and unloading pickup devices 15 and 16 according to the related art use driving means including mechanical links, belts, ball screws, and servomotors, and the like to vary their pickers, respectively. Hence, the driving means are too complicated to change a rotary motion into a straight motion to increase their overall volumes, whereby power consumption increases.
Moreover, when the belts and pulleys are used, tensions of the belts should be adjusted periodically. Besides, the operating belts and pulleys raise dust to have bad influence on the semiconductor devices.